


This Is Home

by PizzaHorse



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Awkward Crush, Best Friends, Crushes, Denial of Feelings, Developing Friendships, Duck - Freeform, Ducks, Emotions, F/F, Falling In Love, Feelings, Feelings Realization, Female Characters, Female Friendship, First Crush, First Love, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Idiots in Love, Love, Love Confessions, Realization, Secret Crush, Strong Female Characters, Teen Crush, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-28
Updated: 2018-09-28
Packaged: 2019-07-18 14:21:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16120289
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PizzaHorse/pseuds/PizzaHorse
Summary: Useless lesbians.





	1. Chapter 1

"Hey Webby? You like me, right?"

The question brought Webby out of the book she was reading, lying lazily on the floor with her legs kicked up, "Sure I do! Why would you ask something like that?"

Lena was leaning against the bed, also sitting on the floor, ignoring a comfortable mattress and pillows in favor of a not very comfortable makeshift backrest, "I mean, do you like me, you know, more than a friend?"

Webby propped her chin into her hands, elbows resting against the floor. She knit her brows together thoughtfully as she replied, "Of course! You're my  _best_  friend!

The older of the two finally looked away from her phone so she could give Webby her full attention. "Yeah, but do you think we're  _more_  than friends?

The other duck thought for several moments. Webby was never very good with hints or implications, so if Lena was trying to indirectly ask her something, she definitely wasn't picking up on it. "Well, I guess you're kind of like family."

"So you see me as more of a sister and not  _something else_?" Lena made a gesture with her hand that made it seem like she was alluding to something she wasn't quite saying, which most people would have probably understood. Webby wasn't most people.

"Is that what you want me to see you as?" Webby was trying to ask what Lena meant without quite asking it, because if Lena wasn't being straightforward than she maybe she shouldn't be either. Trying to figure out what her friend wanted, but being too perplexed to know exactly what to ask to get the desired answer.

Lena rubbed the back of her neck nervously, eyes scanning around the room as she tried to string together the right words to help Webby understand. "I want to know if you ever think about me in a more than friends way. Like in a getting married and growing old kind of way, or whatever. You don't have to, I'm not saying you have to or you should, but if you did I wouldn't mind. And you could tell me if that was a thing, instead of letting me wonder for months and scrutinize every little affection you gave me and being tentative about reciprocating and coming on too strong and not being sure if I was just reading too much into everything and none of it was a big deal and I was making it a big deal and making our friendship into something it wasn't because I couldn't be sure and you never said we were more than friends so why should I even be thinking about this? You know what, let's forget I said anything and just go back to our lives like this conversation never happened," Lena finally remembered to breath. She ducked her head down as she picked up her phone, but despite trying to hide it, Webby noticed that her cheeks were flushed.

"You want to know what, exactly?" The younger duck was even more baffled than before.

Lena picked up her phone and stood hurriedly. "It's not really important anymore. I'm going to go take a walk."

"Wait, Lena-" She was gone.

Webby wanted to go after her. But what could she say to make her stay? Ask her to maybe say it all again, maybe slower, maybe differently? She didn't know what would help, if anything would help. Lena had been so cryptic, and no matter how hard Webby thought, she couldn't crack whatever code her friend had been using. She was smart, why was this so hard? Why did communication have to be so complicated? It could be so simple if people just said what they meant.

So Webby sought out the triplets to see if they could shed some light on the difficult situation.


	2. Chapter 2

"So she asked you if you saw her as more than a friend? And then you told her she was like family?" Louie asked.

They were all in the kitchen, scattered around the central island counter, which was where Webby had found the three boys just moments earlier.

She nodded furiously. "Then Lena asked if I'd ever thought about getting married and growing old together?" It sounded more like a question than a statement, befuddlement painting itself on Webby's face.

Huey, Dewey, and Louie's mouths all fell open in unison.

"She  _said_  that?" Dewey regained his composure first.

"What did you say?" Huey asked a question that was bound to get better results.

"I didn't really say anything," Webby recalled the conversation from earlier, "She said a lot of stuff I couldn't really follow. It was all pretty confusing and then she said she wanted to forget about it and just left."

"Why didn't you tell Lena you liked her?" Louie prompted.

"I did! I mean, I thought I did. I do like her. She's my best friend," Webby curled her hands against her chest, in a way she only did when she was thinking deeply about Lena.

"Don't you have like, a mad crush on her?" Dewey pointed out what the other brothers were undoubtedly thinking.

"How would I know?" Webby's innocent response almost seemed fake or like she was making a joke. Except that her expression read as genuinely curious, as if for a moment she was far younger than she appeared and it was a child asking the question.

It occurred to all three of the boys at once, whose minds sometimes synced up into one singular thought, that they were Webby's first friends. Perhaps her first contacts with the outside world. Maybe she'd never had someone to crush on before. She didn't go to school, and the type of books Webby read probably wouldn't have explained relationships in detail. Maybe she really didn't know. Maybe that's why she couldn't figure out what Lena meant.

"It's like, everything you've been doing with Lena," Louie piped up.

"Holding hands, leaning on her shoulder, kissing her on the cheek, never wanting to leave her side, going on frequent coffee dates, hugging her longer than you do anyone else, always going along with what she wants to do, giving her the last of any kind of food item you both want, falling asleep cuddling, do I really need to go on?" Huey listed all the things they'd regularly seen the two take part in that  _definitely_  went far beyond being "best friends."

Dewey tacked on his two cents. "Honestly we all kind of assumed you were already dating and just didn't feel the need to tell anyone. Or maybe you guys aren't into labels. We have far better things to do than be judgemental with how either of you live your lives."

Webby seemed to consider all the things that had just been revealed to her. She knew the triplets were best friends, but she had assumed that because they were boys, they were less affectionate. Much more rough and tumble. All the little extra affections she gave Lena and that Lena reciprocated was just normal girl stuff. Wasn't it?

"Oh no," Webby concluded that perhaps light kisses and tender touches were not, in fact, "just normal girl stuff", and that what Lena had tried to ask her by implying they were more than "best friends" was really asking if they were, in fact,  _girlfriends_. "I MESSED UP!" The young duck yelled out, louder than anyone was expecting.

Huey recovered from the outburst first. "So she asked if you were friends or more than friends and you didn't immediately say "yes" and she left?"

"Is that bad?" Webby bit down on her knuckle anxiously.

"It could be," Dewey shrugged.

"Shut up!" Louie jabbed his brother with his elbow.

"She'll be back, don't worry," Huey gently placed a hand on Webby's shoulder. "But before you see her again you should figure out what you're going to tell her. It sounds like you two need to have a bit of a heart to heart."

"What  _should_  I tell her?" The girl duckling went from one nervous gesture to the next, now rubbing her hands together.

"Do you see her as more than a best friend?" Louie piped in.

"I think so," Webby was still trying to gather her thoughts and piece everything together.

Dewey tried to put everything into simpler terms. "Do you want to date her? Like, you be her girlfriend and she'll be yours?"

"Maybe?" Webby didn't sound sure. "What if it doesn't work out?"

"Then you go back to being best friends," Huey shrugged. "Nothing has to change in your relationship if you start dating, other than the fact that you're putting a label on it that can help better define your boundaries."

"What if she doesn't  _want_  to be my girlfriend?"

"Much as I highly doubt that, if that's the outcome then you just stay the same. All those little affectionate gestures, they don't have to stop unless either one of you wants to take a step back. You've both been okay so far, right? And look, if you're ever in a moment and you get concerned that maybe something might not be okay then just  _ask_. That's like, how consent works."

Webby took a deep breath to steady her nerves. "Thanks you guys. It was really nice to have someone to talk to about this."

"Yeah, don't get all mushy," Dewey rolled his eyes, but smiled anyway.

"But seriously, if you need anything that Lena or your grandma can't help with, we  _are_  here for you," Huey added.

"You're like the fourth triplet. The sister we never had. And we support you and your goth girlfriend," Louie chimed in.

"She's not my girlfriend yet," Webby felt she had to clarify.

"Well, I have a feeling that's going to change," Louie winked.

They'd all have to wait for Lena to get back to find out. Webby decided to take some time to be alone with her thoughts and sort out her feelings. She liked Lena, she really did. Ever since she'd met her, there'd barely been a moment when she wanted them to be apart. The notion of love had never really occurred to her, with anyone, ever. Maybe Huey, Dewey, and Louie were right. They were already in love, she just didn't know it. She wondered how long Lena had been in love with her, and how long she'd been oblivious to it. The only thing to do now was to move forward with her newfound knowledge and prepare for a long overdue conversation with her best friend.


	3. Chapter 3

Lena had forgotten just how awful her previous living space was. She didn't own anything of value, so she'd never had a reason to ever go back. In the last several months since she'd moved in to McDuck Manor, she'd almost forgotten all the bad memories associated with this place.

All the lonely nights lying awake, half wishing she was safe and warm in Webby's room, talking in the dark until one of them fell asleep. Having someone besides Aunt Magica for company, for once. Knowing that her days with Webby were numbered and nothing could last between them. Wishing that everything could be different, that this wasn't her life and she was just a normal teen.

But now she was, and everything  _was_  different. Sort of.

Lena wanted things to be different. She was still so scared of hurting Webby, even if she was no longer under the control of a powerful witch. Everything they did, she let Webby take the lead. There were so many times she'd thought about kissing her, felt like it was the right time, had an open opportunity to do so. Every time, she backed down. She let Webby decide how close they could get, let her decide the physical boundaries for their relationship. And the boundaries had been steadily increasing, like Webby was testing the waters but afraid to make the first leap to something more. So for once, Lena had made a move, in trying to ask if they were still just friends or if they'd moved past that.

Webby didn't seem to think so, and that was… hard. Hard because Lena had hoped for a long time that they were maybe sort of dating and maybe sort of girlfriends, even if neither of them had said so yet. They acted like it, almost, at least from what Lena knew about dating. But the progression had been so subtle that Lena didn't really think about it until one night when they were both sharing an oversized hoodie and Webby fell asleep first. She'd looked so cute and comfortable and Lena felt her heart swell and thought how lucky she was to have Webby in her life and suddenly became very aware of how close they were and how much she wanted to put her arms around her and never let her go.  _Is this what love feels like?_  She'd thought. And promptly concluded that, yes, it was, and there was no place she'd rather be than right here.

Lena had never let herself get close to others before. It wasn't safe while she was controlled by Magica. It was scary, now, to be so vulnerable, to put her heart in someone else's possession, without a guarantee that her feelings would be returned. So she'd waited, as long as she could, hoping that Webby would ask her out first, officially. When that didn't happen, well, the conversation from earlier that day did.

That's how Lena found herself at her old stomping grounds.

The abandoned amphitheater that she had once called home may have been full of tragic memories, but it was still one of the most familiar places she knew. Somehow, it still felt like home, in its own way, even though there was a perfectly good room waiting for her back at the manor. Even though she'd hated every moment she was here, now, it didn't seem so bad. Maybe because Magica was gone and she didn't have to stay and could leave any time she wanted. She wasn't confined here. She had somewhere else to go.

She'd met Webby here. Maybe that's what drew her back today.

Tossing bottles into the ocean with fake distress messages, which Webby had thought was "cool!" Crashing Ma Beagle's birthday party, which she was planning to do anyway, but that ended up being so much more fun with Webby around. Almost dying multiple times. They were almost inseparable after that night, except for the whole eclipse thing and not having a body for almost a year. That was definitely not a memory Lena wanted to dredge up.

To keep her mind off the recent catastrophe of a conversation she'd had trying to express her feelings to Webby, she headed under the amphitheater to start digging into what few possessions she used to own.

There were some cool rocks and shells and pieces of glass and even some old bones that she'd picked up along the beach. They could definitely make for some neat decorations in her new room. Maybe she'd bring them back with her. Little else was in good enough condition, some dead plants and expired food and clothing that several bugs had eaten to shreds or made permanent homes in. Gross.

The only other salvageable thing was her old journal. She'd nearly forgotten about it. She certainly couldn't talk to Aunt Magica about all her hopes and dreams and fears, so writing them all down was the next best thing. She started writing even more as the eclipse neared. There were a bunch of entries detailing the life she wished was possible and the future she wished she and Webby could share together. Now it was all possible, right at her fingertips but just out of reach. Lena sighed and added the journal to the box of trinkets she'd started.

The plan had been to sleep here, but frankly everything was a mess and Lena had really forgotten how uncomfortable her old bed was. There really was no point to staying here, other than to avoid Webby, and much as she didn't want to face her again so soon after their last interaction went so awry (and she possibly overreacted,  _possibly_ ), a part of her knew how much Webby would worry. The last thing Lena ever wanted to do was make Webby feel bad for anything, because she didn't deserve that. So she scooped up the box of what little she'd decided to keep and headed back home.


	4. Chapter 4

Even after she left the amphitheater, Lena dawdled on her way home. She took the time to visit the rooftop where Webby had first showed her the manor, and the park where she'd met Huey, Dewey, and Louie (and almost knocked Louie's beak off). The stars were out and the moon was high in the sky by the time she reached McDuck Manor.

She was sure everyone else was asleep, but presumed Webby would be waiting up for her. What time was it, anyway? For all Lena knew it could be after midnight. She didn't feel tired, but that wasn't unusual. Insomnia and sleeping through half the afternoon wasn't unusual for her.

A sliver of light from the shared bedroom broke through the darkness in the hallway, proving Lena correct that Webby was probably still awake, and probably worried. Well, she'd have to talk to her sometime, so Lena took a deep breath and tentatively pushed open the door, peeking inside.

There was Webby, curled up on Lena's bed, cocooned up in on of her hoodies, fast asleep. She looked completely adorable, in Lena's opinion, so small and soft and unbelievably cute. Every morning she woke up in the bed opposite Webby's, and got to see her sleepy, smiling face looking back at her. Every morning, she couldn't help but hope that things would never change. But after today, they might.

Well, at least Lena still had until morning to think about what she could say to patch things up between them.

Since Webby was in her bed, Lena figured she'd just have to take Webby's for tonight. As she went to pull back the covers and settle in, she found a note laying on the pillow. Lena glanced back to make sure Webby was still asleep, before examining the writing.

> **Lena,**
> 
> **I'm sorry that I'm not any good at this. You're the only best friend I've ever had. I love every moment of every day that I get to spend with you. I always have. And when I'm not with you, I'm thinking about you. Wondering what you're doing, how you are, if you're safe, when we'll see each other again. Maybe that's silly. But I'm trying to be honest about how I feel.**
> 
> **I do like you as more than a friend. I don't think I quite understand the differences between a best friend and a girlfriend. You're the first I've had of either. Or at least, the first one. The second, I think was what you were trying to ask me about. I'm sorry I didn't understand. But I want to. I want to understand and I want you to know that I care about you more than I've ever cared about anyone else (excluding granny, of course). That might mean that I love you. If I'm being honest, I'm not quite sure what love is yet. I want to learn. I think, if I had to say I loved anyone right now, it'd be you.**
> 
> **I'd never thought about growing old until you mentioned it today. I think it would be nice to grow old with you. Even if we stay just friends, I _always_  want to be your friend. I don't want anything to change that. I don't want to lose you,  _ever_. I'm sorry that I can't tell you yet what exactly it is that I feel for you, but I still like all the things we do together and I don't want to stop. We don't have to change anything, okay?**
> 
> **I don't know when you're coming home. Maybe I'll wake up and this letter will be right where I left it. But I hope I find you in its place instead. I hope you don't mind that I borrowed your clothes. They smell like you, you know. I haven't decided if wearing it makes me miss you more or less. I miss you more than I can express with words. I hope that wherever you are, you can feel me missing you, and you'll come back. I hope you're safe, at least. I never want to let anything bad happen to you again.**
> 
> **Webby**

So that was it. Webby wasn't sure, and that was… okay. It wasn't a  _no_. It wasn't the complete rejection Lena had dreaded, judging from Webby's earlier reaction. Maybe, if she thought about it, they were still young and they didn't need to be so hasty to put a label on their relationship. Webby didn't want things to change, and neither did she. This could work. Yeah.

Lena settled into bed. She breathed in the scent of the pillow, a little musty and a little sweet, like all the old books Webby read. And it smelled like home, because Webby was her home. Webby was her world, the center of her universe, the only person that could have brought her back from the darkness. She owed her everything.

So what if they weren't dating? The bond they shared was powerful and unique, unmatched by any other. They still cared about each other fiercely, loyally, unconditionally. Things were good. Great, even. Better than Lena could have ever imagined or thought possible.

Moonlight streamed in from the window, allowing her to observe Webby's small frame as she drifted off to sleep. Tomorrow was another day that she could spend with her best friend. Where they'd end up in the coming weeks, months, or even years was something to worry about later. Right now, they were enough for each other, whatever that meant. They could grow into labels if they needed to. They had time.


End file.
